The separation of hydrocarbons is a basic process in the petroleum industry. Petroleum is a mixture of many hydrocarbon compounds and the compounds are separated and used for different purposes, such as fuel, lubricants, feedstock to polymer plants, etc. One method of separation in the petroleum industry is distillation. Distillation is a method of separation that is based on a difference in the relative volatilities of the components in a mixture, and therefore differences in the composition between a liquid mixture and a vapor formed from the liquid mixture. In a standard continuous distillation process involving multiple stages, the differences in composition allows for partial separation at each stage. The liquid and vapor phases are passed to different stages, and further produce new liquid and vapor phases in each having different compositions.
A problem exists for distillation systems in that they are large consumers of energy and inefficient with respect to energy usage and consumption. Improvements in design can significantly reduce energy consumption. With increasing energy costs and with increasing pressures to reduce CO2 emissions associated with energy consumption, there is a compelling need for more efficient distillation designs.